The founder of the fledgling improv group had just announced he had to leave, for personal reasons, and he walked out the door. The Five wondered aloud, “Can we put on an improv show with just five people?” We decided to try. We had no idea we were creating what would become The KC Improv Company. We performed a few shows a year, primarily at the Lucky Brewgrille in Mission, KS. Our audience consisted of friends and family, and then friends of friends, and then…

Word spread. Within twelve months, we were playing in comedy clubs, bar basements, colleges, and comedy festivals multiple nights a month. On January 1st, 2012, our owner Tim Marks made the jump and founded The Kick Comedy Theater in Westport. We had established an improv theater. We started performing every Saturday — a prime-time show, and then a late show. Two shows turned to four, and four turned to five per week. Our audience had grown, and so had our company.

Now, in our sixth year at The Kick Comedy Theater, we currently employ over 35 professional actor/improvisers. We have trained with top-level pro’s from The Second City, UCB, and other national theaters. We have expanded from simple shows based on tried-and-true games and characters to challenging formats such as Improvised Shakespeare, Improvised Murder Mysteries, and original formats that we have invented.

By 2015, we had grown to a place where Tim Marks could no longer handle the work alone. Now there is an Artistic Director, General Manager, and Training Center Director. All of these positions are filled by company members who are committed to grow The KC Improv Company and share our love of all things improv with the Greater Kansas City Community.